Getting this message: "This won't work because it would move cells in a table on your worksheet."

[laura_protzman]

When I try to insert a row in a formatted table, I get the following message: "This won't work because it would move cells in a table on your worksheet."

[#2]

Hi @laura_protzman

Do you have another table below the one you are trying to insert the row in?

If so you could just insert a sheet row rather than a table row  (providing that doesn't mess anything up to the right or left of your table)

[#3]

What is interesting, if another table is in exactly the same columns

Excel doesn't care about that and inserts rows into the first table shifting everything down

[#4]

Yes, it’s essentially inserting cells for the row of the table so if that moves the whole lower table it’s fine but if it’s just part of the table that’s not possible

[#5]

I was getting the same error message because I had accidentally chosen the entire columns to be part of the table. I was able to fix by going into Design > Resize Table and selecting the proper range of data.

[#6]

@laura_protzman I'm getting the same error message too. I can insert a row easily but I can't 'Insert Copied Cells' which I do all the time.

Read through the other comments and they don't help unfortunately. Any other suggestions?

[#7]

@laura_protzman PS found this article which explains it a bit more but still doesn't give an answer as to why it is built like that?!

https://superuser.com/questions/417196/cant-insert-cells-in-excel-2010-operation-not-allowed-error-m...

[#8]

@stephen_b78

Are you trying to insert copied cells somewhere above a Table?

A Table is treated as an entire object therefore inserting cells above a table tries to "push down" one or more columns  in the table which can't happen

[#9]

@laura_protzman I had a similar message when I tried to refresh a table created with Power Query based on reading a table of data from a source file.  Turns out that I had added a few rows to the source file and so the query couldn't place the newly-expanded table of data into the confines of the existing table.  Once I manually added rows to the "receiving" table (by dragging the small, square fill handle in the lower right corner of the lower-rightmost cell in the table down to add as many rows as needed), the query was able to run again.

[#10]

Thanks so much

[#11]

@laura_protzman this may not apply to your situation but it's what created that error for me:

I have a MS Power Automate Flow that would check the contents of an excel table and delete rows in the table. Everything worked fine until today I get that error. In the end I discovered it's because the last time I used the file I left that table filtered based on a column entry. Once I turned off the filter and saved it the Flow work again.

[#12]

I have had the same problem but my problem was that I created a table, I didn't even realise I did, selecting a few columns (usually selected to the end of the worksheet). So when I tried to add a row, it was imposible because I already had maximum rows. Don't know how I realised that but problem was fixed by deleting the unused rows, creating more space to add them back in (anywhere you want).

[#13]

@laura_protzman To remove some no used columns or rows first, then you can easily move or insert any columns or row.

Best regards,

C. C. Hsieh